The Larder Philosophy

Sonja Edridge, business owner & founder

Growing up in Cape Town Sonja has always had a love of food and all things food-related.

After a work stint in Australia Sonja found herself in the UK and enrolled at Pru Leith’s School of Food and Wine in London. She graduated with merit and then spent a summer working at Castello di Montepo in Tuscany, cooking for Italian nobility, foodie elites and visitors from the Vatican.

Returning to London, Sonja entered the world of television and worked on Channel 4’s Light Lunch and The Italian Kitchen with Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers and then helped launch Delia Smith’s website, Delia Online. She also worked as a food editor for the supermarket magazines of Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer.

Sonja then began working as a freelance food stylist, writer and recipe developer for numerous publications, recipe books, television commercials and packaging shoots, as well as working with fabulous food photographers, authors and stylists from around the globe. She worked regularly with Jonathan Lovekin, Nigel Slater’s partner-in-crime, as well as David Loftus, Jamie Oliver’s favoured photographer.

In spite of the excitement and glamour, Sonja always had a yearning to open her own restaurant. In 2011 Block and Chisel contacted Sonja in London and asked her to create a dedicated in-store cafe at their Diep River store – she jumped at the opportunity and made the immediate decision to return home. The Larder was born!

Sonja has always loved cafes with soul – places where you can feel right at home and be treated like an old friend. She created The Larder to be a homely space where even slippers and pantoffels are welcome!

The Larder offers delicious ingredients from local producers who are passionate about their products, and what they do. Sonja works with the seasons and changes the menu according to what her carefully selected farmers are harvesting at the time, and uses only free-range pasture-reared meats. The food is real and honest, and made on site. And naturally, where there is good food there must always be awesome coffee.

Sonja doesn’t stop there – she can fill your freezer with homemade meals and treats, and also offers a catering service. Although not her full-time vocation, Sonja has also made a career of creating very special private dinners, cooking for corporate events, and close friends and family.

Sonja has worked as a private chef with some of the biggest names in film and theatre… there is a reason why The Larder’s version of Eggs Benedict is called The Johnny Depp!

There are exciting plans for the future with a range of original chutneys and sauces, and you can now also get your Larder caffeine-fix in Claremont.

Email us on info@thelardercafe.co.za

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THE LARDER – CLAREMONT

Grove Building, 8 Grove Avenue, Claremont

Tel: 021 671 1958

Mon – Fri: 7am to 3:30 pm

Saturday: 8.30am to 1.30pm

Supperclub – get in touch for bookings of 15 or more, we’d be happy to cook!